Another Awakening: Strachan's Ghyll
- Over at Strachan's Ghyll—which is where Cassandra lives—Grisini wakes up disoriented. He has no idea where he is at first, but then he realizes that Cassandra has brought him to her home.
- He only vaguely remembers fighting with the children and falling. Cassandra's magic must have taken hold of him then, and he traveled by train to Strachan's Ghyll.
- Cassandra tells him it's been nine days since he arrived and he's been sleeping the whole time, thanks to his serious injuries.
- He's surprised to see just how rich Cassandra has become while he's gotten more and more destitute. But, she doesn't look happy at all.
- Then, she demands that he tell her about the phoenix-stone. He says that, according to legend, the phoenix-stone started off as a fire opal owned by a witch 300 years ago.
- The witch was burned at the stake by people who wanted to steal her fortune, and she cursed the stone as she died.
- Ever since then, all of the women who have owned the phoenix-stone have died by fire, and in each case, the stone has survived. The only way to pass on the stone is for someone else to steal it.
- And, the only person who can steal the stone is a child—that's why Grisini cannot steal it from her right now.
- However, Grisini reveals to Cassandra that he lives with two children. If they can find a way to lure Lizzie Rose and Parsefall to Strachan's Ghyll, one of them can steal the phoenix-stone from Cassandra, and then she won't be fated to burn to death.
- He warns her that Parsefall is a pickpocket (which is true) and that Lizzie Rose is a devious liar (which is false). Deep inside, he's thinking that whoever steals the stone will become his slave, though, and that he'll use that child to control the phoenix-stone. Nice, Grisini.
- Cassandra points out that he has one more child under his power: Clara Wintermute. Yeah, Cassandra may be an old witch, but she's still pretty powerful and knows his secrets.